JPH02277450A - Laser probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the detachment of a contact type tip member with respect to the skin or sheath of a laser guide and the detachment of the contact type tip member and a holding member with respect to the sheath by forming a part of the holding member or the whole thereof from a heat insulating member. CONSTITUTION:The laser beam oscillated from a laser generator is emitted from an emitting end through a laser guide 13 and transmits through a contact type tip member 18 to irradiate the affected part in the body cavity. Herein, since a part of the holding member 15 connecting and fixing the leading end part of the laser guide 13 to the contact type tip member 18 is formed from a material such as ceramics having heat insulating effect, the heat generated in the contact type tip member 18 or the peripheral heat of said tip member is not transmitted to the skin or sheath of the laser guide to prevent the damage of said guide due to heat and it is prevented that the holding member 15 or the contact type tip member 18 is detached to become a dangerous state and, therefore, this probe can be safely used in treatment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a laser probe for irradiating a laser beam to an affected area within a body cavity.

[Conventional technology]

In the past, for example, Utility Application No. 62-166241, which was filed first.
In the laser probe shown in this issue, the outer periphery of the laser guide made of quartz glass is covered with a resin protective tube, the output end of this laser guide is directly fixed with a holding member, and the tip of this holding member is attached to the affected area. A contact type chip member made of a contact member that is brought into direct contact with the contact member is attached and held. In addition, the one shown in FIG. 7 has a tip member 2 that is in direct contact with the tip of the laser guide 1.
This contact type chip member 2 is made of metal such as stainless steel, and is a hot type type that generates heat by directly absorbing laser light from a laser generator through a laser guide. There are things etc. Furthermore, the laser probe shown in USP 4,592,353 includes a laser guide 1 and a fluid passage 3 for supplying air or water around the outer periphery of the laser guide 1, as shown in FIG. A sheath 4 made of resin is provided, and a holding member 5 is fitted between the distal end of the sheath 4 and the laser guide 1, and the distal end of the holding member 5 is a contact type for incising, cauterizing, etc. the affected area in the body cavity. The chip member 2 is fixed to the holding member 5 by caulking or the like.

Since this contact type tip member 2 is made of a transparent material, it is of the type that allows laser light to pass through it and brings it into contact with an affected area or the like for treatment.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, all such laser probes have drawbacks. That is, the protective tube, which is the outer skin of the laser guide in U.S. Pat. No. 62-166241 and FIG. The sheath, which secures a fluid passage around the outer skin for air or water supply, was also made of a flexible resin material in order to be inserted into the body cavity.

If the outer skin and sheath of these laser guides are made of a resin material, they have poor resistance to heat, and especially in laser probes where the contact tip member is used in contact with living tissue, the contact tip member itself or The surrounding area heats up, and this heat is transmitted to the holding member made of metal, etc., melting the resin material of the outer skin or sheath of the laser guide, and causing the contact type tip member and holding member inserted into the body cavity to fall out. There was a problem with it happening.

The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a laser that can prevent the contact type tip member and the holding member from falling off from the outer skin and sheath of the laser guide. The purpose is to provide probes.

[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects] In order to solve the above problems, the laser probe of the present invention includes a laser guide that transmits laser light to the tip side, and a contact provided at the output tip of the laser guide. It has a mold tip member and a holding member that connects and fixes the emission end of the laser guide and the contact type chip member, and a part or all of this holding member is made of a heat insulating material.

By doing this, even if the contact type chip member is heated by the heat of the laser beam, the holding member is made of a material that has a heat insulating effect, so the heat will not be directly transmitted to the outer skin or sheath of the laser guide. Therefore, the contact type tip and the holding member can be used safely without falling off.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. A laser probe 11 shown in FIG. 1 has a laser guide 13 inserted into a flexible sheath 12 made of a resin material such as polytetrafluoroethylene. To prevent breakage, it is covered with a protective tube made of polyvinyl chloride or the like.

A holding member 15 consisting of a heat insulating member 14 having a hollow structure made of ceramic or the like is disposed on the inner periphery of the tip of the sheath 12.
is inserted. The output end of the laser guide 13 is held in the inner diameter of the rear part of the heat insulating member 14, and the protective tube is removed from the output end of the laser guide 13 to prevent heat damage, resulting in an exposed portion 16. This exposed portion 16 faces the opening of the holding member 15. Furthermore, a tip holder 17 is detachably attached to the inner periphery of the tip of the heat insulating member 14 with a screw or the like. The chip holder 17 holds a contact type chip member 18 made of artificial sapphire or the like that transmits laser light. This contact type tip member 18 consists of an entrance end 18a and an output tip 18b having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a constriction 18c is formed on the outer periphery between the entrance end 18a and the output tip 18b. It will be done. The tip holder 17 is fixed to the constricted portion 18c of the contact type tip member 18 by crimping with its tip portion 17a crushed. Further, the periphery of the distal end portion of the emitting tip portion 18b of the contact type tip member 18 is rounded so that coagulated blood and the like can be smoothly removed. Furthermore, a split groove 19 is formed at the rear of the heat insulating member 14 consisting of the holding member 15 inserted between the sheath 12 of the laser probe 11 and the laser guide 13, and the tip of the portion that holds the contact type tip member 18 is formed. Holder 1
7 has a slotted groove 20 that communicates with the inner cavity of the tip holder 17.
are similarly provided. For this reason, the laser guide 13
The fluid flowing through the fluid passage 21 formed in the gap between the outer skin of the chip holder 17 and the sheath 12 passes through the inside of the chip holder 17 through the groove 19 of the cross-sectional member 14 that forms a part of the holding member 15. The liquid can be discharged from the grooves 20 of. Although not shown, the incident end side of the laser guide is connected to a laser generator via a connector, and the fluid passage 21 is connected to a fluid supply device.

However, when using the laser probe 11 configured in this way to irradiate a laser beam to an affected area in a body cavity, the laser probe 11 is inserted into the body cavity, the contact type tip member 18 is brought into contact with the affected area, and the laser generator and Activate the fluid supply device. Then, the laser beam emitted from the laser generator is emitted from the emission end through the laser guide 13, passes through the contact type tip member 18, and is irradiated to the affected area.

Here, a part of the holding member that connects and fixes the laser guide tip and the contact type tip member is made of a material such as ceramic that has a heat insulating effect, so that the heat generated in the contact type tip member or surrounding heat is transferred to the laser. Since the heat is not transmitted to the outer skin or sheath of the guide, there is no damage due to heat, and the holding member or the contact type tip member does not fall off, resulting in a dangerous situation, so it can be used safely.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention. The laser probe 22 shown in FIG. 2 is a modification of the one shown in FIG. 1, and descriptions of the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 will be omitted. This laser probe 22 is provided with a heat insulating member 23 at the portion where the outer skins of the sheath 12 and the laser guide 13 contact each other, that is, the inner periphery of the tip of the sheath 12 and the outer periphery of the laser guide 13, and the rear part of the holding member 24 is provided with a heat insulating member 23. It is sandwiched between 23. The tip of the holding member 24 is fixed by a tip holder 25 that holds the contact type tip member 18.

In this case as well, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. For the first embodiment, 1
Although two grooves are formed, a plurality of grooves may be provided, and the present invention is not limited to grooves, and instead of grooves, for example, a porous structure may be used. Further, in the second embodiment, the contact type chip member cannot be attached to or detached from the laser guide, but it may of course be made detachable.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. A holding member 28 made of ceramic or the like and also serving as a heat insulating member 27 is attached to the tip of the laser guide 13 of the laser probe 26.

At the tip of this heat insulating member 27 is a contact type tip member 29 whose tip main portion is made of metal such as stainless steel and has a warhead shape.
is removable with screws, etc.

The laser probe 26 having such a configuration is inserted into a blood vessel to cauterize a thrombus, for example, and the contact type tip member 29 is irradiated with a laser beam.
9 itself is heated to a high temperature, and the contact type chip member 2
In step 9, the blood vessel is repeatedly advanced and retreated to spread the thrombus and cauterize it.

At this time, even if the contact type chip member is heated, the laser guide and the contact type chip member are connected and fixed via a holding member made of a heat insulating member. Compared to conventional methods, heat is not transmitted and the contact type tip member does not fall off, so it does not block blood vessels and can be used safely.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. At the tip of the laser guide 13 of this laser probe 30,
A fixing member 31 made of metal is plastically deformed and attached to the resin-coated protective tube of the laser guide 13 by caulking. Furthermore, a contact type tip member 32 made of metal such as stainless steel and having a warhead shape,
It is arranged in front of the distal end of the fixing member 31. A holding member 34 that connects and holds both members is screwed together with a screw 35 between the fixation member 31 and the contact type chip member 32. This holding member 34 is made of a heat insulating member 36 made of ceramic or the like.

In the laser probe with such a configuration, even if the contact type tip member is heated, as in the third embodiment, since the holding member made of a heat insulating member is interposed between the contact type tip member and the fixed member fixed to the laser guide, the contact type tip member cannot be directly heated. Since heat is not transmitted to the laser guide, the contact type chip member can be used safely without falling off, and it is also possible to process heat insulating members made of difficult-to-process materials such as ceramics with as simple processing as possible. It is.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This laser probe 37 has a laser guide 1 inside the sheath 12.
3 is inserted through the laser guide 13, and a rear end portion of a fixing member 38 made of gold or the like is provided between the tip of the laser guide 13 and the sheath 12.
The laser guide 13 is fixed by being inserted into the resin coating of the laser guide 13 using an uneven process such as a screw or the like applied to the inner diameter of the laser guide 13. On the other hand, the fixing member 38 is fixed to the sheath 12 by press-fitting the protrusions 39 of the fixing member 38 into the inner diameter of the sheath 12. Furthermore, a groove 40 is formed at the rear of the fixing member 38. As shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the fixing member 38 is formed with a tongue-like portion 41 that is elastically deformable and has a spring shape. A contact type tip member 42 has a warhead shape with a space in front of the exposed portion 16 of the laser guide 13, and there is a space halfway in the center of the rear part, and the tip of the fixing member 38 and the tip part of the fixing member 38 are provided on the outer periphery of the rear part. A similar elastically deformable tongue 43 is formed. Furthermore, in order to connect and fix the fixing member 38 and the contact type tip member 42, the tongue-shaped portion 4 of the fixing member 38 is elastically deformed via a holding member 45 made of a heat insulating member 44.
1 and the contact type tip member 42 are removably connected to each other by an elastically deformable tongue portion 43.

Further, a fluid passage 21 is formed in the gap between the sheath 12 and the laser guide 13, so that air or water can flow to the outside through the groove 40 of the fixing member 38.

In such a configuration, in order to connect and fix the fixing member and the contact type tip member, the holding member made of a heat insulating member has an elastically deformable tongue portion of the fixing member and an elastically deformable tongue portion of the contact type tip member. It can be easily fixed by inserting it in place.

In these embodiments, the method of fixing the heat insulating member and the chip holder or the contact type chip member was explained using screws or the like, but the method is not limited to screws, and the fixing method may be press-fitting, caulking, or the like. Further, the contact type tip member is not limited to the shapes formed in these embodiments, but also includes those of various shapes.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, even if the contact type tip member is heated to a high temperature during use, the outer skin and sheath of the laser guide will not melt because the heat from the direct contact type tip member is blocked by the heat insulating member. Since this prevents the contact type tip member and the holding member from falling off, the contact type tip member and the holding member can be used safely.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion near the tip of a laser probe showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of a laser probe showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of the laser probe showing the third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of the laser probe showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. A side sectional view near the tip of the laser probe showing the fifth embodiment,
Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the heat insulating member and fixing member in Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of a conventional laser probe, and Fig. 8
The figure is the same as FIG. 7 (a side sectional view of the vicinity of the tip of a conventional laser probe). 11, 22.26.30.37 ・Laser probe 13 ・ ・ -- Laser guide 14, 23.
27.36.44 Insulation member 15, 24.28.3
4.45・Holding member 1g, 29.32.42
・Contact type tip No. ■ Ward diagram mapable tube diagram

Claims (1)

[Claims] A laser guide that transmits laser light to the tip side, a contact type tip member provided at the emission tip portion of the laser guide, and a holding member that connects and fixes the emission end of the laser guide and the contact type tip member. A laser probe comprising: a part or all of the holding member made of a heat insulating member.